The present invention relates to an information exchanging method and an information communication device for exchanging information to mutually specify the device with which wireless communication is performed, to a computer-readable storage medium into which is stored an information exchange processing program for execution by a computer, to a program execution apparatus for executing an information exchange processing program, and to an information exchange processing program for execution by a computer.
In the past, short-range one-to-one wireless communication has been performed using, for example, an infrared or low-power RF signal.
In a case in which a plurality (3 or more) of communication devices exist within a region in which they can perform mutual communication therebetween, in order to perform the above-noted short-range one-to-one communication, the communication devices to perform the one-to-one communication perform wireless communication wherein each communication device mutually specifies the other party to the communication.
More specifically, in the case in which there are a plurality of communication devices having a transceiver transmitting and receiving a signal using an infrared or RF signal, and a main apparatus unit, all of these existing within a region in which it is possible to perform short-range one-to-one communication, when communication is performed, for example, between two communication devices without specification being made of the parties to the communication, another communication device responds to the communication between the intended parties. Thus, in order to perform one-to-one communication between the intended two communication devices, it is necessary for each of the parties to the communication to specify the other party to the communication.
In general, for example, when a first communication device transmits a signal to a second communication device, communication is performed either by adding information to the transmitted signal which specifies the second communication device or by performing transmission under conditions so that only the second communication device responds, and when a second communication device transmits a signal to a first communication device, communication is performed either by adding information to the transmitted signal which specifies the first communication device or by performing transmission under conditions so that only the first communication device responds, the result being the achievement of short-range one-to-one mutual communication between the first communication device and the second communication device, in which the other party to the communication is specified.
As described above, in order to achieve short-range one-to-one communication, the parties to the one-to-one communication must mutually exchange information for the purpose of specifying the other party to the communication.
The exchange of information that specifies the other party to the communication is generally done by wireless communication either together with the transmission and reception of a communication signal, or before the transmission and reception of a communication signal. However, the exchange of information for specifying the other party to the communication using wireless communication is accompanied by many problems with regard to security, and it is difficult to verify whether or not information exchange has been performed normally. In particular, in a case in which the above-noted communication device is, for example, a portable information terminal dealing with important information such as personal information, if the exchange of information for the purpose of specifying the other party to the communication is not performed correctly, and the information terminal is set for communication with an erroneous party, important personal information or the like can be transmitted to and received at the wrong terminal. Additionally, if an encryption method is used when performing exchange of information that specifies the other party to the communication, although the security problems are reduced, additional processing is required, for example, for the purpose of setting an encryption key for encrypting the information specifying the other party to the communication, thereby leading to complexity and an increase in cost.
It can be envisioned that, in place of transmitting and receiving information for specifying the other party to the communication, if a selector switch is provided on each communication device for the purpose of setting the other party to the communication, this selector switch can be used to make selective setting so as to specify the other party to the communication. If the other party to the communication is selectively set using such a selector switch, not only is the above-noted security problem eliminated, but also the selective setting of this switch can be visually viewed, thereby facilitating verification of what setting has been made of the other party to the communication.
In a system, however, in which a selector switch is used to specify the other party to a communication, in a case in which there are several hundred to several thousand possible communication devices with which communication can be performed, a switch enabling accommodation of selective setting of each and every one of these is required, thereby rendering this approach impractical.